Day 14, Mat305/594, History of Mathematics

Last time: Section 4.2

Next time: Section 4.2/4.3

Today:

• Announcements
  • Homework through section 3.2 returned.
  • Your take-home midterm will be distributed Wednesday. It will include questions on the material through chapter 3.
  • Who's up for a commercial next time? Debra?
  • A reminder that the Sehnert Banquet and lecture is tonight! The banquet starts at 6:00, so we'll end today at 5:45.
  • And speak of the devil -- we have a visitor! Frank Morgan.

• Today:
  • An "extended commercial", by Professor Frank Morgan: The Calculus of Variations.

  • I don't have a lot of quotes about the calculus of variations, but here's a particularly relevant one:

    Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) -- written in his diary as a student:

    "I talked over the 'Calculus of Variations' with Price today, but without any effect. I see no prospect of understanding the subject at all."